What the club means to me

Published: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 9:56 a.m.

I lay in my bed, wide awake at 4 a.m., the same time every night. This was when my mother came home from her second job. Without it, she wouldn't be able to care for us.

I would listen for hours to her sobs until she exhausted herself, falling asleep.

I hated this routine, mostly because I knew it would occur the same time the very next night. Her burden of working 12-hour shifts to put clothes on our backs, a meal in our refrigerator, or a bed to sleep on was a heavy one to carry. I have never met my father; I barely know of his existence.

On these nights I would also think about my brother, who has Lyme disease and will never have the ability to fully control his neck. Or my sister, who is continuously in and out of rehab. Another brother whom I will probably never have the opportunity to meet.

I used to cry myself to sleep on these nights, wondering if my family would ever move on from the trauma of an abusive — and now absent — father. Fortunately for me, the answer to this question is yes.

At the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County, I found the positive male influence that I was missing through Josh, a staff member. Since kindergarten, Josh has essentially been my dad.

Josh started working the first year I came to the club, 13 years ago, and I am blessed to have him in my life. He is the one who attended my sporting events and award ceremonies, and I have been able to go to him with whatever problems I had over the years.

I'm here today because of Josh and because of the Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club cares. They care about my future, life and well-being. I would have been helpless without their guidance.

They were the ones who gave me the confidence to do anything. They were the ones who threw the baseball with me or tossed the football around. While other kids considered this a father-son activity, I considered it an activity with my club family.

I still recall the lyrics "loopy loop through the hoop," as club staff taught me how to tie my shoes. They broke me out of my invisible shell, allowing me to prosper.

They were my caretakers, supporting me as I grew up in drug-addicted neighborhoods. They gave me clothes so that I had something to wear that wasn't riddled with holes. They intertwined their fingers with mine as I walked down to the park.

Their commitment built a strong desire within me to pay it forward. The compassion and love that I received at the club will be put back into my community and the other kids at the club who also come from a destructive past.

I may have my father's eyes, nose or facial structure, but here at the club, I have more than that. I have love. The love that will continue my path to a bright future.

I lie on my bed now staring at a picture of me with my family at the Boys & Girls Club, the leading influences in my life. I wipe away tears that are no longer from sadness, but from appreciation.

I walk into the club the next day and hug them, feeling the warm embrace that I have felt so many times before, and I whisper "thank you."

Tae Brown is the 2013 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County. He represents the more than 1,553 young people served by the club each year.

<p>I lay in my bed, wide awake at 4 a.m., the same time every night. This was when my mother came home from her second job. Without it, she wouldn't be able to care for us. </p><p>I would listen for hours to her sobs until she exhausted herself, falling asleep. </p><p>I hated this routine, mostly because I knew it would occur the same time the very next night. Her burden of working 12-hour shifts to put clothes on our backs, a meal in our refrigerator, or a bed to sleep on was a heavy one to carry. I have never met my father; I barely know of his existence. </p><p>On these nights I would also think about my brother, who has Lyme disease and will never have the ability to fully control his neck. Or my sister, who is continuously in and out of rehab. Another brother whom I will probably never have the opportunity to meet. </p><p>I used to cry myself to sleep on these nights, wondering if my family would ever move on from the trauma of an abusive — and now absent — father. Fortunately for me, the answer to this question is yes. </p><p>At the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County, I found the positive male influence that I was missing through Josh, a staff member. Since kindergarten, Josh has essentially been my dad. </p><p>Josh started working the first year I came to the club, 13 years ago, and I am blessed to have him in my life. He is the one who attended my sporting events and award ceremonies, and I have been able to go to him with whatever problems I had over the years. </p><p>I'm here today because of Josh and because of the Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club cares. They care about my future, life and well-being. I would have been helpless without their guidance. </p><p>They were the ones who gave me the confidence to do anything. They were the ones who threw the baseball with me or tossed the football around. While other kids considered this a father-son activity, I considered it an activity with my club family. </p><p>I still recall the lyrics "loopy loop through the hoop," as club staff taught me how to tie my shoes. They broke me out of my invisible shell, allowing me to prosper.</p><p>They were my caretakers, supporting me as I grew up in drug-addicted neighborhoods. They gave me clothes so that I had something to wear that wasn't riddled with holes. They intertwined their fingers with mine as I walked down to the park. </p><p>Their commitment built a strong desire within me to pay it forward. The compassion and love that I received at the club will be put back into my community and the other kids at the club who also come from a destructive past. </p><p>I may have my father's eyes, nose or facial structure, but here at the club, I have more than that. I have love. The love that will continue my path to a bright future.</p><p>I lie on my bed now staring at a picture of me with my family at the Boys & Girls Club, the leading influences in my life. I wipe away tears that are no longer from sadness, but from appreciation. </p><p>I walk into the club the next day and hug them, feeling the warm embrace that I have felt so many times before, and I whisper "thank you."</p><p>Tae Brown is the 2013 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County. He represents the more than 1,553 young people served by the club each year.</p>